Approximately 1,000 US soldiers preparing to deploy to the Middle East to be available for Iran operations

By Haley Britzky, Zachary Cohen, CNN

(CNN) — Approximately 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expecting to deploy in coming days to the Middle East, according to two sources familiar with the matter, adding to the growing military firepower in the region as the Trump administration says it is in talks with Iran to end the conflict

The contingent includes Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier, commander of the 82^nd Airborne Division, and division staff, as well as a battalion of the 1^st Brigade Combat Team which is currently acting as the division’s Immediate Response Force (IRF), the sources said. The initial elements of the division staff and battalion are expected to begin deploying within a week, one of the sources familiar said; other elements within the brigade are also expecting to deploy at a later date, though those expectations could change as the situation develops.

The brigade will be the “ready unit” in the Middle East, prepared to be called upon if needed, the source said. The 82nd Airborne Division made a similar movement in 2020 after the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

The IRF is a brigade that is ready to move with limited notice, acting as a rapid response force able to deploy within hours when called upon. The designation of the IRF rotates between teams in the Army brigade.

The first source familiar said there had not yet been official orders to deploy, though they were expected imminently.

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